Fuji on New Year's Day (Gantan no Fuji): Detached page from One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku hyakkei) Vol. 1 Possibly 1834 - 1835

Curator: Hokusai's woodblock print, “Fuji on New Year’s Day,” presents a bustling scene against the serene backdrop of Mount Fuji. What strikes you first? Editor: The sheer weight of stuff! All those boxes and bundles; it speaks to the material obligations embedded even in a festive occasion. Curator: Indeed, the objects suggest movement and transition, a new beginning loaded with cultural expectations. Fuji itself is a powerful symbol of hope, immortality, and national identity. Editor: And how were these prints created? Thinking about the physical labor, the carving of woodblocks, the registration of color... it’s easy to lose sight of the sheer craft involved. Curator: Yes, the monochrome palette reinforces the symbolic weight of the scene and its cultural resonance. It allows us to focus on the forms, their placement, and the deeper narrative. Editor: It all reminds me that art-making is always embedded in social relations and available technologies. Even an iconic image like this is a product of very specific conditions. Curator: Agreed. Looking closely reveals layers of meaning – tradition, hope, and the everyday reality of lives in transit. Editor: Precisely, and a reminder that even New Year's, with all its symbolic baggage, requires tangible labor and material exchange.